Safety apparatus for steam-boiless



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. STEBBINS, OF HINSDALE, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

SAFETY APPARATUS FOR STEAM-BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,991, dated November 2, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS STEBBINS, of I-Iinsdale, in the county ofCheshire and State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improved SafetyApparatus for Steam- Boilers; and I do hereby declare that the same isfully described and representedin the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, of which- Figure l, denotes a top view; Fig. 2, aside elevation of it.

In such drawings, A, represents a steam boiler, carrying a standard, B,for supporting the shaft or fulcrum of a tilting lever, C. On one arm ofthe said lever, a hollow globe or vessel., D, is fixed, while theopposite arm, c, of the lever carries a ball, E, of

greater weight than the vessel, D, or of such weight as to be capable ofdepressing that arm of the lever to which it is attached, and elevatingthe other arm and the vessel, D, whenever the latter is empty of water.'Ihe arm, c, of the lever, C, extends through a right angular or bentlever, d, having its fulcrum at the top of a post, e.

The shaft, a, of the lever should be tubular and have two pipes, y, g,leading out of it, one being led into the upper part, while the other isled into the lower part of the vessel, D. Furthermore, the ends of theshaft, a, respectively open into those of two other pipes, L, t', andhave stufling boxes,

7e, 7c, so applied to them and the said pipes,`

it, i, as to permit the shaft, a, to turn freely on its bearingsindependently of and without disturbing the functions of the pipes, h,z'. One of these last mentioned pipes, viz., L, extends downward and islcd into the boiler at the level below which, in order to render theboiler safe, the water should not fall. The other pipe, (via, 2') shouldenter the boiler at a lower level, and each may be furnished with a stopcoclr as shown at 702.

In the operation of this apparatus, while the fluid in the boilerremains above the lower mouth of the pipe, 71 a portion of such fluid,by the super-incumbent pressure of the steam on the water surface in theboiler, will be forced through the pipes, L, and t', into the shaft, a,and from thence into and through the pipes, f, and g, and

into the globe, D, so as to fill the same and cause it to overbalancethe weight on the other end of the lever, and thereby tilt the lever andmaintain it in its tilted position. Vhen, however, the water in theboiler falls below the said mouth of the pipe, l, steam will rush intothe pipe and through it into the shaft, a, the pipe, f, and the globe,D, and will drive the water before it and out of the vessel, and throughthe pipes, g, and i, and into the boiler. The globe, D, thus being freedof water, the lever will be tilted by the weight or ball, E, which atthe same time will move the lever, (l, on its fulcrum. Should this lastmentioned lever be attached to an alarm apparatus as a means of settinga pump in operation, either an alarm may be given, or a further supplyof water may be pumped into the boiler, provided in the latter case, thepump may be properly connected with the same.

I am aware that it is not new to so combine a vessel with a boiler, andan alarm or signal apparatus, that such vessel, when the water in theboiler may be above its lowest safe water level shall be kept filledwith water by the pressure of the steam, and when such water may fallbelow such level of safety, such vessel, by th-e entrance of steam intoit shall be emptied of its water and thereby by the abstraction of theweight of water from such vessel the alarm or signal apparatus shall beput in operation and therefore, I do not claim such. Although I maintainthis principle of operation in carrying out. my invention, I eect animportant and valuable improvement, as my invention rests on an improvedmode or means of carrying out such principle and consists in anarrangement of pipes with respect to the vessel and boiler whereby thesteam and water passages are entirely separate from one another, so thatthe water does not hinder or obstruct the passage of the steam from theboiler to the vessel, D, one not having to rush directly by and inContact with the other while the steam may be flowing into the vessel,D, of the safety apparatus. Furthermore, my arrangement presents otheradvantages, as by means of it, the safety apparatus is entirely out ofthe boiler and is not liable to be inboiler, A, the vessel, D, and itsloaded lever, 10 juriously aected by the foaming of the C, and so as toenable the Whole to operate Water in the boiler. substantially in manneras explained.

I olaim- In testimon7 whereof I have hereunto set The improved safetyapparatus, as specimy signature. fied, or the above describedarrangement of FRANCIS STEBBINS. the two separate steam pipes, f, L,.the two separate water pipes, g, z', and a tubular shaft. a, togetherand with respect to the IVitnesses:

R. II. EDDY, F. P. I-IALE, J 1.

